The Illusion (2009): reparto, argumento y streaming

Released in 2009, The Illusion is a documental film directed by Susana Barriga, running about 24 minutes.

What it’s about. Susana Barriga’s documentary, the illusion, begins with violence. A long shot reveals a man standing on a street corner, his features indiscernible in the night. He moves out of the camera’s line of vision, but the filmmaker, persistent, moves with him as the jostling of the camera marks her steps. As we learn moments later, the man in the distance is Susana’s father – and this is the clearest image of him we will have. Suddenly, an angry British man demands that Susana cease filming. Susana protests in heavily accented English, “He is my father!” Glimpses of a man’s torso are followed by blurred images as the camera spins rapidly over surfaces. The image cuts to black. A new male voice asks in carefully spaced out words if Susana would like him to call the police. When she doesn’t respond immediately, he speaks louder, as though volume would compensate for the language difference. She gives her name; she refuses the offer of an ambulance.

How it landed. With an audience score of 8.0/10, The Illusion sits among the best-reviewed titles in the catalogue.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Illusion page.

If you liked it. Fans of The Illusion tend to enjoy One Direction: This Is Us, BTS: La Película, BTS World Tour: Love Yourself - Japan Edition and Senna.